Improvement in steam-boiler furnaces



C. E. ROBINSON.

STEAM BOILER FURNACE.

'No.171,63Z

Patented Dec. 28, 1875,

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

N.PETER$. PHOYO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASHINGYON. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES E. ROBINSON, on BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

lMPROV EMENT IN STEAM-BOlLER FURNACES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 17] ,632, datedDecember 28, 1875; application filed December 9, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES E. ROBINSON,

of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have inventeda new and useful lmpi'ovement'in Furnaces for Steam-Boilers; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompany,

ing drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in furnaces for burning gases ofpetroleum or other liquid hydrocarbons. The attempts here- -intensity,and thus render the use of petroleum economical to the desired extent,it is requisite to divide the furnacechamber into two parts by means ofaperforated diaphragm, the same thus forming the top of the chamber inwhich the combustion is begun and the bottom of the chamber in which itis perfected. The bottom of the primary combustion-chamber is formed bya series of inclined perforated plates, which are joined at their upperand lower edges, and by which the air is admitted in the requisitequantity, and at the same time heated to the extent necessary to preventlowering of the gases below the combustion-point as they meet andcommingle. These elements and conditions are therefore essential to theobject in view, to wit: The furnace-chamber must be divided, so that thecombustible gases shall be raised'to a higher temperature by contactwith the diaphragm or partition-plate in passing through it. Second, airshall not be admitted, except at the bottom of the primary or lowercombustionchamber, and then only in a heated condition.

A indicates a locomotive-boiler of the usual construction. A diaphragm,B, extends straight across the furnace-chamber O at an inclinationdownward from the door a; but all or a portion of it may have adifferent inclination or arrangement without departing from myinvention. It is provided with numerous transverse vertical perforationsor passages, 0, so that the openings on one side do not coincide withthose on the other. I make the openings in the upper side of thediaphragm smaller, as well as much more numerouS,-and so arrange themthat each of the lower openings will be immediately beneath aniinperforate portion of the diaphragm above, as clearly shown in thedrawing, whereby the gases are caused to take a circuitous course inpassing through. This arrangement of holes 0 prolongs or insurescomplete contact of the gases with the diaphragm without sensiblyretarding them. The diaphragm is made of fire-clay, and, of course,becomes intensely heated soon after the fire has been started. The chiefobject and function of the same is, by thus dividing thefurnace-chamber, to cause the gases evolved from whatever hydrocarbonmay be used to pass in actual contact With it, and thus become morehighly heated and. thoroughly mixed or commingled, so that they will beperfectly consumed in the space above the diaphragm, thereby producingthe desired result of a great increase in the heat capable of beingdeveloped from a given quantity of fuel. This absence of any loss inunconsumed gases, and the consequent higher evolution of heat, renderthis feature of my invention of great economic value.

The petroleum or other oil to be consumed is discharged from asuitably-constructed atomizer, d, under steam-pressure, into the primarycombustion-chamber O, against a perforated fire-clay plate, D, Setinclined against the back or inner side of the water-leg E. This plate,being'necessarily maintained at intense heat, aids in effecting thedesired decomposition of the gas, and at the same time prevents contactof the latter with the water-leg, whereby its temperature would becomeso reduced as to render attainment of the desired thoroughness ofcombustion impossible.

As to the second feature of my inventionthe bottom of the fire-boxit hasbeen hitherto found impossible to supply atmospheric air to thefurnace-chamber in sufficient quantity to supply the demands of thecombustion of petroleum without employing an air-forcing apparatus, orelse constructing the bottom of the chamber with so large spaces oropenings for admission of the air that it entered the fire-box butslightly or insufficiently heated, and hence cooled the gases below thehigh temperature at which it is absolutely necessary to preserve them inorder to perfect combustion. I have therefore contrived a bottom, F,composed of perforated plates G, each two being set inclined one towardthe other, thus forming two sides of a triangle, and the wholepresenting, in cross-section, a zigzag or serra tion.

It will be apparent that, by thus convoluting or, so to speak, doublingup the bottom F, its area may be increased twofold or more, as desired,and that the access and admission of air to the chamber G will becorrespondingly facilitated. Besides this, the air becomes highly heatedin passing over the sides of the plates composing the bottom F, and inpassing through the numerous holes therein.

By this construction I overcome one of the great difliculties heretoforein the way of the adoption and practical use of oil as a fuel inboiler-furnaces.

In case coal is employed as the fuel an ordinary grate will, of course,be substituted for the bottom F. In such case the sparks or carbonparticles carried up from the burning a coal will be, for the most part.arrested by striking the under side of the diaphragm, or

the imperforate portions thereof, which are directly above the loweropenings 0, and thus prevented escaping into the tubes or stack, exceptit be as dust-like particles orspent gases.

What I claim is-- 1. For burning petroleum-gas, the combi the space orchamber to which atmospheric air has access only through said bottom, asand for the purpose specified.

CHAS. -E. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

A. W. HART, EDWD. W. BYRN.

